The sorrows of a travailing woman shall come upon him: he is an unwise son; for he should not stay long in the place of the breaking forth of children....Hos. xiii. 13.

FOOLISHNESS is bound in the heart of a child, but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him....Prov. xxii. 15. Though God's children are made wise unto salvation, yet folly is bound up in their nature: their conduct discovers it, and proves the necessity of the rod of correction to drive it from them. Here is a threatening; a charge; the reason for it, and a most precious promise from the Lord. 1st. The threatening. God loves his children too well to spare the rod and spoil them; "för whom the Lord loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."....Prov. iii. 12. Therefore, painful sorrows like those of a travailing woman, come upon them: nature's pains prove nature's remedies. The pain-ful visitations of love, prove spiritual remedies to the soul: they bring forth abundant blessings. O ye children of God, beware of construing love-tokens of afflictions into black marks of hatred. 2d.. The charge. "He is an unwise son." My dear heavenly Father, what great reason hast thou for this charge against me? O, in how many ways have I displayed my folly! Though thy wisdom sees it, yet thy loving, gracious heart does not disinherit, but thou saith, SON still.. "Faith works by this love," all hope and peace in. the conscience, and holiness of life. 3d. See the reason of the charge. "He should not stay long in the place of breaking forth of children:" this was fulfilled in the conduct of the disciples... Christ compared them to a woman in travail : told them they should. "weep and lament, and be sorrowful," but adds, "Your sorrow shall be turned into joy."....John xvi. 20. Yet they were unwise sons; they staid too "long in the place and breaking forth of chi dren.” Instead of being delivered of their pains and sorrows, by faith in their Lord's death, they indulged them: hence our Lord upbraids them: "O fools, and, slow of heart to believe."....Luke xxiv. 25.. Do not you fall under this reproof also? Do you act as a wise or an unwise son? Where are you? Has faith in your Lord delivered. you of your pains, and brought forth joy? Or, are you still staying in the chamber of labour, sighing and sorrowing under bondage to fear, instead of rejoicing as children of God? This is really the case with many disciples now: they walk not in the glorious liberty of the children of God: they do not in their minds and consciences stand fast, triumph and rejoice in Christ's finished salvation, but are poring upon what they are in themselves. 4th. Look at the precious promises of your Lord, "I will ransom and redeem them," &C..... Hos. xiii. 14.

The joy of the Lord is your strength....Neh. viii. 10.

THIS is a precious, evangelical chapter: glorious gospel truths are here held forth to us: Lord, help us to see them and feed upon them. Here is, 1st. A solemn observation of the feast of tabernacles this was appointed by the wisdom of God the Father.... Lev. xxiii. 34. Did God solemnly command the people to dwell in booths for eight days, but to some glorious end? No: Christ is the substance of the whole law: here is a shadow of him: here is typi fied God's beloved Son who was to tabernacle in our flesh, and all the Father's glory to dwell in him. 2d. "The people gathered together as one man." So, "Unto Shiloh (the Messiah) shall the gathering of the people be."....Gen. xlix. 10. 3d. Ezra the priest reads and expounds to them the law in the open street, (much such another dreadful crime as field-preaching) the people were convinced of sin and wept: the law ministers death and condemnation to them. Here is the office of the Holy Ghost in convincing of sin, and comforting them by faith. 4th. Ezra preaches the gospel to them, and says, "Weep not, neither be ye sorry." No! Not when their hearts were wounded by sin, the terrors of a broken law fell upon them, and when they saw justice armed with vengeance to destroy them? No: for, says he, "The joy of the Lord is your strength," How so? A glorious ray of Christ's rich love and marvellous grace to poor sinners beams forth here: see what is the joy of the Lord; our precious Lord Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, "FOR THE JOY THAT WAS SET BEFORE HIM (of saving us miserable sinners) endured the cross, despising the shame."....Heb. xii. 24 Look unto Jesus; meditate on this joy of your Lord. Though he was to suffer the most excruciating pains and agonies on the cross, be exposed to public shame and infamy as a malefactor, hanging naked; yet such was his joy in saving his dear people from hell, to be glorified with him eternally in heaven, that he patiently endured all, and cheerfully despised all this. O, such love, 'such grace, such joy never dwelt but in the heart of an incarnate God! Sinner, this joy of the Lord is your strength and mine: the faith of this creates the highest joy in our souls; and this joy inspires our hearts with strength and courage against all our enemies; for we are more than conquerors through Christ who loved us, and had such joy in saving us. O, to think I am a poor, weak, and vile sinner from day to day, surrounded by the most subtle and powerful foes, is enough to make our hearts faint, our knees feeble, and our hands hang down: but, O the joy, the strength it inspires the soul to know, "The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty.".... Zeph. iii. 17,

The joy which cometh from the Lord, It's reap'd by faith in his good word,
Our daily strength shall be;
Who hung upon the tree.

M.

Brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure....2 Pet. i. 10.

WORK FOR life, say the sons of ignorance and pride. Work not at all: Christ has left us nothing to do, say the sons of sloth and licentiousness. But, say the sons of wisdom, we labour and give diligence in the ways of God: not in order to get life; not to be saved for what we do; but to enjoy more of the life of Christ, the love of God, and the assurance of his Spirit, that we are his children. To this Peter exhorts. BRETHREN; ye who profess to believe in the Son of God, and long to know assuredly that ye are the children of God, "Give diligence.". Do not rest in a few lazy wishes, cold desires, and formal duties, but be earnest, be active, be upon the stretch for God. As we say, leave no stone unturned: study the Lord's word of grace, dwell upon the rich promises of his love, meditate upon the finished salvation of Christ, confer with his people, be fervent in prayer, strive against sin, resist satan, deny the flesh, cry for the witness of the Spirit, &c. all this, say you, is very good; but I want power to do this. Have you a will to it? Then the Lord who gave you a will, will strengthen you by his power, while you are found in these things. Nay, say not you wish to be happy in God, if you neglect to be diligent in the ways of God: for what is this but solemn mockery of God, and sadly deceiving your own soul? Consider the end of this diligence, "to make your calling and election sure." 1st. Your calling: there is a general call of the gospel to every sinner who is within the sound of it: some rest in this: this is not meant; but a special and effectual call from a death in sin, to life and salvation in Christ; from a proud hope and vain confidence in ourselves and our works, to a lively faith in Christ and comfortable fellowship with God. 2d. "Your election:" this is a frightful word to many: they fight strongly against it as they believe there is no election of grace, they cannot labour to make their own sure. The apostle leaves such to their own carnal notions, while he assures real believers of this truth, that some are elect, according to the foreknowledge of God.... Pet. i. 2....and urges them to diligence, to obtain the assurance of their own interest therein: so that you see, the doctrine of election, so far from encouraging sloth, is the very spring of diligence and activity. The Lord give us a right judgment in all things; for this will influence to a right walk and godly conversation in Christ Jesus.

Called to run the heav'nly race,
With Christ my prize in view:
I will be diligent, through grace,
With vigor to pursue.

My soul, nor tire, look back nor faint,
Look up to Christ for peace:
He will give joy to ev'ry saint,

From doubts and fears release. M.

Give diligence to make your election sure....2 Pet. i. 10.

WITHOUT election there had been no Saviour given; no salvation wrought out: no promises made: no Spirit sent: no sinners effectually called to be saints: no love in God to comfort them; nor no heaven open to receive them. O, how do poor sinners fight against their own mercies, when they fight against the electing love of God. But, says one, I tremble to think, if I should not be one of the elect, what a dreadful thing would that be? Not at all more dreadful, but just the same as if there had been no election. But what kind of argument is this against any truth? Suppose a profane sinner says, if there is a hell and I should be one of the damned, what a dreadful thing would that be? What does this prove? People are apt to stand in nature and self, and judge of the truths of God: hence they have hard thoughts of a God of love. Behold I shew unto you a more excellent way: far better to give diligence to make your election sure, than to cavil and dispute about what is a plain article of christian faith. Disputes seldom promote love; but assurance of our election will. Your fear and trembling, lest you should not be one of the elect, is a sure evidence that you are not stupid and thoughtless about salvation. It is "with fear and trembling you are called to work out your own salvation, remembering it is God who works in you, both to will and to do of his good pleasure."....Phil. ii. 12, 13. By his grace, study diligence to make your. election sure: there is no election to salvation, but in Christ. Sinners are chosen, justified, sanctified, and saved I him, with an everlasting salvation. The faith of God's elect cordially receives and embraces these truths, and lives upon Christ to enjoy the com fort of all this. Such a believing soul cannot but breathe out its sighs and send up its prayers for. the Holy Ghost to bear witness with his spirit that he is a child of God. Says Peter, prove the sincerity of these, and that your heart is in earnest to enjoy this assurance, by giving diligence. Self-love may excite a desire after comfort: but if faith works by love to the truths of God, it will make you diligent in the ways of God. O the unspeakable joy, when the comforting Spirit bears witness to the soul of the Father's love in Jesus; that I am a child of God, through faith in Christ, that my sins are pardoned through his blood, and my person justified in his righteousness: this is glory begun below, by a heaven of love, possessing the sinner's soul. Then he says, "I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me."....Gal.. ii. 20.

Thou life of lives, life of my soul,
Me quicken ev'ry day;

O let not sloth my powers controul,
To run the heav'nly way.
M.

Men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed....Psalm lxxii. 17.

CURSED is every one that continueth not in all things, which are written in the book of the law to do them."....Gal. iii. 10. This curse God hath never revoked: every man upon the earth is naturally under it: but the greatest curse is, men neither believe it, feel it, nor care for it. Hence they slight and disregard that dear Man, who was made " a curse for us," that we might be blessed in him. Says our Lord, "search the scriptures, they testify of me."....John v. 39. Here is a sweet testimony for our mind and precious food for our faith Jesus, master, bless me while I meditate on it. 1st. See all blessedness in Christ. Well might Luther say, "I will have nothing to do with an absolute God:" that is, God without a mediator. O sinner, O saint, there is nothing but curse and wrath for us out of Christ: there is a hell of sin in our nature: the pride of the devil and the lust of the beast dwell in our flesh. Spirit of God, give us to know this more and more, to the humbling of our hearts and to the prizing of our dear Immanuel: for in Christ there is nothing but blessedness: we are blessed IN him. Blessed be his God and Father, who HATH blessedus, with ALL spiritual blessings IN CHRIST, according as he hath CHOSEN US IN HIM before the foundation of the world.... Eph. i. 3, 4.

Here are precious foundation-truths of our blessedness: faith receives them, and works by the love of them. 2d. Not only blessed IN, but blessed BY. Christ: as OUR Covenant head he hath every blessing for time and eternity to bestow upon his members. We have not only a notion of this, but the enjoyment of it. Christ is the author of our faith he gave us faith, that we might feed on him in our hearts, have fellowship with him in our spirits, and have all things in common with him which our Father's love can bestow, to make us blessed and happy. 3d. Men, miserable, sinful men shall not only be blessed in and by Christ, but shall bless themselves IN him. This is a sweet art: Holy Spirit, teach it us from day to day though we find ourselves vile, miserable and cursed, yet let us bless ourselves in the Lord; boast of him, glory in, and rejoice for what Christ of God is made to us. Lastly; men shall call Christ blessed the most blessed object their eyes ever saw, or their hearts ever knew. The paper fails: Lord make up in spirit what is wanting in letter. There is no end of speaking, dear Lord, of thy blessedness.

In Christ I am for ever blest,
Tho' sin and law condemn me still:
Christ is my refuge and my rest,
Let carnal sense say what it will.

Faith lifts me out of nature's views,
And judges not by carnal sense:
When on Christ's love I sweetly muse,
It drives all slavish terrors hence. M.